Book of Jasher — 1840 English Edition

Book of Jasher — 1840 English Edition 47

CHAPTER XLVII. 1. And Isaac the son of Abraham was still living in those days in the land of Canaan ; he ivas very aged, one hundred and eighty years old, and Esau his son, the brother of Ja- cob, was in the land of Edom, and he and his sons had possessions in it amongst the children of Seir. 2. And Esau heard that his father's time Avas drawing nigh to die, and he and his sons and household came unto the land of Canaan, unto his father's house, and Jacob and his sons went forth from the place vi^here they dwelt in Hebron, and they all came to their father Isaac, and they found Esau and his sons in the tent. 3. And Jacob and his sons sat be- fore his father Isaac, and Jacob was still mourning for his son Joseph. 4. And Isaac said unto Jacob, bring me hither thy sons and I will bless them ; and Jacob brought his eleven children before his father Isaac. 5. And Isaac placed his hands up- on all the sons of Jacob, and he took hold of them and embraced them, and kissed them one by one, and Isaac blessed them on that day, and he said unto them, may the God of your fathers bless you and increase your seed like the stars of heaven for number. 6. And Isaac also blessed the sons of Esau, saying, may God cause you to be a dread and a terror to all that will behold you, and to all your ene- mies. 7. And Isaac called Jacob and his sons, and they all came and sat be- fore Isaac, and Isaac said unto Jacob, the Lord God of the whole earth said unto me, unto thy seed will I give this land for an inheritance if thy children keep my statutes and my ways, and I will perform unto them the oath which I swore unto thy fa- ther Abraham. 8. Now therefore my son, teach thy children and thy children's chil- dren to fear the Lord, and to go in the good way which will please the Lord thy God, for if you keep the ways of the Lord and his statutes the Lord will also keep unto you his co- venant with Abraham, and will do well with you and your seed all the days. 9. And when Isaac had finished commanding Jacob and his children, he gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people. 10. And Jacob and Esau fell upon the face of their father Isaac, and they wept, and Isaac was one hun- dred and eighty years old when he THE BOOK OP JASHER. 147 died in the land of Canaan, in He- bron, and his sons carried him to the cave of Machpelah, which Abraham had bought from the children of Heth for a possession of a burial place. 11. And all the kings of the land of Canaan went with Jacob and Esau to bury Isaac, and all the kings of Canaan showed Isaac great honor at his death. 12. And the sons of Jacob and the sons of Esau went barefooted round about, walking and lamenting until they reached Kireath-arba. 13. And Jacob and Esau buried their father Isaac in the cave of Mach- pelah, which is in Kireath-arba in Hebron, and they buried him with very great honor, as at the funeral of kings. 14. And Jacob and his sons, and Esau and his sons, and all the kings of Canaan made a great and heavy mourning, and they buried him and mourned for him many days. 15. And at the death of Isaac, he left his cattle and his possessions and all belonging to him to his sons ; and Esau said unto Jacob, behold I pray thee, all that our father has left we will divide it in two parts, and I will have the choice, and Jacob said we will do so. 16. And Jacob took all that Isaac had left in the land of Canaan, the cattle and the property, and he placed them in two parts before Esau and his sons, and he said unto Esau, be- hold all this is before thee, choose thou unto thyself the half which thou wilt take. 17. And Jacob said unto Esau, hear thou I pray thee what I will speak unto thee, saying, the Lord God of heaven and earth spoke unto our fathers Abraham and Isaac, say- ing, unto thy seed will I give this land for an inheritance forever. 18. Now therefore all that our fa- ther has left is before liiee, and be- hold all the land is before thee ; choose thou from them what thou desirest. 19. If thou desirest the whole land take it for thee and thy children for- ever, and I will take tiiis riches, and if thou desirest the riches take it unto thee, and I will take this land for me and for my children to inherit it for- ever. 20. And Nebayoth, the son of Ish- mael, was then in the land with his children, and Esau went on that day and consulted with him, saying, 21. Thus has Jacob spoken unto me, and thus has he answered me, now give thy advice and we will hear. 22. And Nebayoth said, what is this that Jacob hath spoken unto thee ? behold all the children of Ca- naan are dwelling securely in their land, and Jacob sayeth he will inhe- rit it with his seed all the days. 23. Go now therefore and take all thy father's riches and leave Jacob thy brother in the land, as he has spoken. 24. And Esau rose up and return- ed to Jacob, and did all that Nebay- oth the son of Ishmael had advised ; and Esau took all the riches that Isaac had left, the souls, the beasts, the cattle and the property, and all the riches ; he gave nothing to his brother Jacob ; and Jacob took all the land of Canaan, from the brook of Egypt unto the river Euphrates, and he took it for an everlasting pos- session, and for his children and for his seed after him forever. 25. Jacob also took from his bro- ther Esau the cave of Machpelah, which is in Hebron, which Abraham had bought from Ephron for a pos- 148 THE BOOK OF JASHER. session of a burial place for him and his seed for ever. 26. And Jacob wrote all these things in the book of purchase, and he signed it, and he testified all this with four faithful witnesses. 27. And these are the words which Jacob wrote in the book, say- ing : The land of Canaan and all the cities of the Hittites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, tiie Amorites, the Periz- zites, and the Gergashites, all the seven nations from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates ; 28. And the city of Hebron Kire- ath-arba and the cave Avhich is in it, the whole did Jacob buy from his brother Esau for value, for a posses- sion and for an inheritance for his seed after him forever. 29. And Jacob took the book of purchase and the signature, the com- mand and the statutes and the reveal- ed book, and he placed them in an earthen vessel in order that they should remain for a long time, and he delivered them into the hands of his children. 30. Esau took all that his father had left him after his death from his brother Jacob, and he took all the property, from man and beast, camel and ass, ox and lamb, silver and gold, stones and bdellium, and all the riches which had belonged to Isaac the son of Abraham ; there was no- thing left which Esau did not take unto himself, from all that Isaac had left after his death. 31. And Esau took all this, and he and his children went home to the land of Seir the Horite, away from his brother Jacob and his children. 32. And Esau had possessions amongst the children of Seir, and Esau returned not to the land of Ca- naan from that dav forward. 33. And the whole land of Ca- naan became an inheritance to the children of Israel for an everlasting inheritance, and Esau with all his children inherited the mountain of Seir.